Bruce Keating excited about exposure Corner Brook will receive from hosting Hockey Day in Canada

Bruce Keating provided members of the Rotary Club of Corner Brook a good sense of what will unfold in the city when Corner Brook plays host to Hockey Day in Canada in 2018. - Dave Kearsey

Money can’t buy the exposure the city of Corner Brook will receive from playing host to Hockey Day in Canada in 2018.

That’s the message Bruce Keating, chairperson of the host Hockey Day in Canada Committee, delivered as guest speaker of the Rotary Club of Corner Brook Wednesday at Greenwood Inn and Suites in Corner Brook.

The four-day festival is a showcase of Canada’s game with something for everybody, from the school kids to the growing population of seniors in the Corner Brook area.

There will be lots of television coverage, with Hockey Day in Canada featuring Ron McLean and Don Cherry doing a live NHL broadcast from the Corner Brook Civic Centre.

Film crews who have been coming to the western region for the past year or so will have some unique stories to tell and images to capture of the beauty and culture of the landscape.

It’s being held Jan. 17-20 in a city where it’s usually pretty quiet, so the beehive of activity will certainly get people out of the house when they normally would be enjoying the comforts of home on a frosty day.

More importantly, Keating was sure to stress the exposure that the city will get from being in the spotlight for hockey fans from coast to coast.

“We get to showcase this city and this region to the country, so to me that’s exposure and you really wouldn’t be able to pay for it,” Keating said. “They’re going to do a really, really magical job on how they present Corner Brook and the region to the rest of the country.”

Keating said 200-250 volunteers will be required to make the event a success, and already 50 people have registered online, so he’s confident his committee will have enough people to carry out the countless duties volunteers will be needed for over the four days of activities.

“You never know who you will meet while you’re out there volunteering,” he said.